


Beast Tamer

by Brighteyes3216



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Durmstrang!Harry, M/M, Quidditch Player Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-10 18:26:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7856290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brighteyes3216/pseuds/Brighteyes3216
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two boys grow up together, their relationship similar to brothers. However, a horrible occurrence separates them. What will happen when they are reunited?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Reminiscing

**Author's Note:**

> italics - flashback  
> underlined - parseltongue

Draco looked out the window and sighed. The weather was meek and gloomy, the sky covered in threatening clouds. It matched his mood perfectly. He was the young Lord Malfoy, head of the Malfoy family after his father's recent untimely death. Now he has to deal with everything that comes with the title, including managing the family accounts, overseeing the manor, dealing with the staff of the manor and grounds. That was just what a sixteen year old needs. He got all the responsibilities of an adult while not being an adult.

Draco glanced at the gardens, situated right next to the manor. From the window, he could see the rose gardens. They were arranged by four sections in a square, each side a different color. In the center of the square was a fountain. A very beautiful fountain. It was of a mother unicorn with her foal, both of them drinking from the gurgling spring. Mother sat on the edge of the fountain, dripping her fingers in the water and staring blankly at the roses.

She had not been the same since Father died. She had taken to stare at things for long periods of time, being oblivious to everything around her. Losing Lucius was taking its toll on her. Though they loved each other, they were not in love; it was more like the love between siblings than between lovers. Their families were very close so they basically grew up together. Their marriage was an arranged one, like most pureblood marriages. It was a good thing they never made an arrangement for Draco yet. That would have definitely lead to awkward complications due to his orientation.

Draco looked out further, passed the gardens, to the 'wild' grounds. That consisted of a variety of different landscapes, all flowing together perfectly. There was an expansive forest that melds into a marsh on one side and rolling fields on the other. There was a large lake in the fields, almost the size of a loch in size, and the bottom was fathoms below the surface. The far side of the fields was a dry terrain that then led into a rocky mountainside with many volleys and caves. The mountains slowly disintegrated with a magnificent waterfall. The river meandered through the gentling slope as trees appeared and became the swamp. It was all very magical and harmonious.

Of course, not all of that was visible to Draco from the window. The grounds were vast, spreading out for many kilos around the manor. The grounds were not natural, enchanted into their current state. It was done centuries ago by Taurus Malfoy. This was the Malfoy line's ancestral home, so, of course, a Malfoy created the grounds. The window faced south, so the current visible piece of the ring was the forest.

At the moment, a thestral made its presence known by flying above the canopy of trees, circling for a minute before plunging back into the darkness beneath. Had Draco mentioned good old Taurus' obsession with magical beasts? That was the reason for the sprawling, magically-enhanced land surrounding the manor in the first place. So, over the years, each generation of Malfoy had brought new species to the grounds. Now, there were more species than Draco could count. Though, there was a record of all the animals every brought here; it was the beast tamer's cottage.

Besides all the magically creatures, normal animals also inhabited the grounds. Like horses, wolves, alligators, squirrels, rabbits … Rabbits … That brought back a fond memory from Draco’s childhood …

_Mummy said to go play in the gardens, but the gardens are so boring. It's just flowers, flowers, and more flowers. And flowers are so boring. I look out pased the beds. I could see the forest and the fields. Daddy said not to leave the garden. That it is dangerous out beyond. Daddy and Mummy say it is safe in the garden._

_Right on the edge of the forest, I could see a cabin. I never noticed the cabin before. It looks like it's very old. I wonder who lives there._

_Just then, a boy exits the cabin, holding a small cage with something furry in it. He is rather small, with messy black hair. And he is smiling. My blond hair is always nice and neat because Mummy says I must always be nice and neat. But that boy looks happy being messy._

_He walks across the grass, coming closer to the garden. He stops about fifteen feet from me. He sits down on the grass and reaches inside the cage, pulling one of the furry things out and leaving one inside. He is not in the gardens and appears safe. I'm curious, so I leave the garden and head towards the strange boy in the grass._

_He looks up only when I am very close to him. He has the greenest eyes I have ever seen. The boy stares at me for a while, holding the furry thing to his chest protectively. He then glances between me and the manor behind me. I see his unease and want to make it go away. I want to bring back the smiling boy from before. I smile at him._

_"Hi!" I say. "My name is Draco. Who are you?"_

_"I'm Harry," he answers softly._

_"It's a pleasure to meet you Harry. Where do you live? Are you magical? What's that you're holding? It looks cute and fluffy. Is it a magically creature? Is it dang-"_

_My words are cut off by a hand covering my mouth. Harry's hand. The boy giggles softly, his eye shining bright. "Do you ever stop talking?" he asks. I close my mouth beneath his hand and look down at my lap. "It's ok," he says, "You're just asking questions so quickly that I can’t answer them." He smiles and removes his hand._

_"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just really curious and excited to meet you. I want to know everything about you."_

_"Really? Well, ok. What would you like to know first?"_

_"Are you magical? I mean, are you a wizard?"_

_"Yes, I am."_

_"Me too! Where do you live?"_

_"I live in the cabin on the edge of the forest.” He pointed over his shoulder. “It's protected by heavy wards. I don't know what those are, but Papa says we are safe from all danger."_

_"My daddy says the same about the manor. What does your daddy do?"_

_"He is the beast tamer for the grounds. He and Mama take care of all the creatures here on the grounds."_

_"That's amazing. Sooo, what's that in your hand?"_

_"This?" he says, looking down at the furry thing. He smiles sweetly at it. "This is Roger. He’s a rabbit."_

_"Is he magical?" I ask shyly, uncertain if the thing will hurt me._

_"No," Harry reassures, "he is not magical or dangerous. He just hops around and likes to be held. Would you like to hold Jessica?"_

_"Yes, I would." I look to the cage with a rabbit still in it. "Is this her?"_

_"Yes, just open the cage and gently pull her out."_

_I do as Harry says. Jessica is super soft and very warm in my hand. I pull her to my chest just like Harry has Peter. Holding the rabbit is amazing. I look up into Harry's green eyes, sharing my joy._

_He smiles and asks, "Would you like to help me take care of them?"_

_"I would love to."_

_For the rest of the afternoon, we play with the rabbits, letting them hop around us. They are so much fun. Harry is so good with animals. I can see it in the way he knows exactly what Roger and Jessica need. During this time, I feel so close to Harry that I never want to let him go._

_I stare at him as he watches the rabbits play together. "Harry?"_

_He brings his eyes to mine. "Yes Draco?"_

_"Will you be my best friend?" I can see shock on his face and he doesn't answer for a while. "It's just that I've never had a friend before and I really had fun with-"_

_I am cut off again by Harry covering my mouth. His eyes shine with amusement, and there's a huge smile on his face._

_"Yes, Draco, I would love to be your best friend." …_

Draco smiled wistfully at the memory. Harry was the greatest best friend Draco could have. We were nearly inseparable during those years. The other boy had such a connection to animals. Harry showed Draco many creatures as they grew up. Draco thought he wanted to follow his parents' footsteps and become a beast tamer. Already, he was able to influence some of the more dangerous creatures not to attack us.

Unfortunately for Father, he had not possessed that same talent with animals. He was walking in forest, barely meters from the edge, when a chimaera cornered him. He tried to escape it, tried to stun it, tried to restrain it, but it was all for not. He was killed within minutes. Even though the current beast tamer and I were nearby, there was nothing either could do to help Father. He was killed right in front of me.

Another memory pops up, though not as happy as the previous, this one from when I was eight years old …

_I race down the hall, eager to meet Harry at our spot. We spend almost every day with each other since the day we met. I am not paying attention, and I collide with Father's legs. We fall to the ground, me on top of him. Father sits up, gently placing me on my feet as he does._

_"Pray tell, where is my little Dragon flying off to so fast?" he asks with a raised pale eyebrow. I smile sheepishly at Father, and then duck my head. "Oh, shall it be that way?" he inquires. His face shifts into a mischievous smile. "Then I will need to change my tactics to obtain this information."_

_That is the only warning I received. The next minute I am helpless under Father's tickling. Soon I am breathless, struggling to escape his hands. "Ok, Ok, I surrender, I surrender, Father. Please release me, I beg of you! I will tell you every 5_

_thing."_

_"Good," he stops tickling me but does not let me go. "I will graciously release you if you tell me where you are going."_

_"I will do what so ever you wish, Father,” I said, smiling innocently, “I am meeting Harry on the grass. We are going to hang out all day. First thing we shall do is feed the grindylows with his parents."_

_"Of course, the Potters' boy. You know, Draconis, a Malfoy should not, as you said, 'hang out' with one of the staff. It is beneath you."_

_"But Harry is my best friend, Father. He has been like a brother since I met him four years ago."_

_"Well," he hesitates here, looking at me sadly, "there was an accident earlier this morning. I was actually looking for you to inform you of it when you collided with me."_

_I am instantly apprehensive. "OK, what happened?"_

_"I am sorry my Dragon, but I must be blunt with this. Mr. and Mrs. Potter were attacked and declared dead this morning. I pulled the memory from Harry, as he was the only one to witness the accident. The Potters had just left their cabin when the attack happened. Four acromantulas rushed towards them from the forest. Mrs. Potter, I saw in the memory, had a calculating expression on her face for as the spiders quickly advanced. After a glance to her husband, she turned her back to the acromantulas and pushed the boy back onto the porch, under the protection of the wards. I heard Mr. Potter yell over his shoulder for the boy stay on the porch no matter what. The next second, the spiders were upon them. In less than a minute, Mr. and Mrs. Potter were being dragged away, back to the acromantulas' colony, and though their child was screaming and reaching out towards them, he stayed right on the porch, safe and protected, right as directed by his father."_

_"Oh, Merlin," I weep out, tears streaming down my face. "I have to go to Harry. He needs me right now."_

_"No, you cannot Draconis."_

_"Why not? I need to comfort him. He is like my brother. I will be the one he wants to comfort him. You cannot keep me from him"_

_"Draco, it is not me that keeps you apart. Harry is not here. He could not stay here now that his parents are dead. He was sent to his aunt and uncle. Mrs. Potter had entrusted me with a portkey for Harry, in case something happened to her and her husband. It would transport only their son to her sister, to protect him from their enemies. They had many, because of the group that they were members. I do not know where Harry was sent, Draco. I am sorry."_

_Harry was gone? Gone for good? Yes, when I went to check the cabin and found it empty of his belongings, Harry was truly gone from the manor. I cry for hours in Mother’s arms. She knows how much Harry meant to me, and does not berate my grief like Father does. I would remember this as the day I lost my brother of my heart …._

The day Draco lost his one and only best friend was the day he grew up. Never again did he act like that carefree child he was before. Father was proud; Draco was finally acting like a proper Malfoy heir. Mother was sad, because she saw her son’s pain. He never acted like a child again because it was too painful. Every childish act reminded him of Harry and he could not take it. He felt less pain if he stopped being a child.

Draco had always wondered what happened to Harry. How did he turn out? What does he look like? Is he happy? There was also a question he did not want to ask, because he did not think he can handle the answer: does Harry miss him as much as Draco misses him?


	2. Chapter 1: Tortured Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> italics - flashback  
> underlined - parseltongue
> 
> * beta'd by my friend from my Quidditch team =)

Four years later

Draco woke up to loud banging on his bedroom door. He blurrily opened one of his eyes and squinted angrily at the bright sunshine sneakily peaking out from under the heavy drapes across the windows. He did not want to get up. Today was not a day he wanted to face. Maybe if he was quiet, she would go away.

That plan seemed successful for all of a minute. Then the angry shouting started. She must have broken through the silencing charms on the door. Draco apparently needed stronger ones.

“DRACONIS LUCIUS MALFOY! I KNOW YOU ARE IN THERE, PRETENDING TO BE ASLEEP! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO AVOID THIS PARTY! YOU HAD BETTER OPEN THIS DOOR THIS INSTANT! SO HELP ME, IF I HAVE TO REMOVE THESE WARDS, YOU WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUNCES!”

That woman certainly had a pair of lungs, Draco could give her that. Since she was there, it had to be four o’clock. She determined to ‘help’ him get ready for the ‘party’. This party she planned had been the bane of Draco’s existence for the last two weeks. He did not, under any uncertain terms, want to attend, even if he was the guest of honor.

The next minute there was a bang, followed shortly by the sounds of splintering wood. Apparently, Draco used up his allotted time musing to himself instead of letting in the woman. Thus, standing in the middle of his bedroom, was his dear friend Pansy Zabini neé Parkinson. He met Pansy at Hogwarts, both of them in Slytherin. He was not sure what exactly she saw in Blaise to marry him, but she seemed happy. That happiness had made her lay off Draco's lack of a love life, for a while, at least. Then, Pansy decided he needed an intervention. Supposedly, he was too serious, acting twice my age (He had gotten a cuff to the head when he argued that he was just acting like the adult he should be). So she had started ‘spicing up his life’. The latest transgression was Draco’s twentieth birthday party.

It was horrid, a literal nightmare. She had commandeered the ballroom in the East wing, and had, over the last two weeks, transformed it to a dance club. There was a long bar running along one side of the room, with an assortment of tables and chairs on the two sides adjacent to the bar. Across from the bar, a stage had been erected about five feet off the ground. The center of the room was cleared to be a dance floor. Three circular daises about a foot tall were dispersed out on the floor to add some flare and levels to the dancing. Lights of vibrant colors would shoot through the room like spells. The walls were transformed from their normal elegant paint job to mirrors. To Draco, everything was a bit over the top already, but Pansy went even further: each mirror was shattered into pieces no bigger than a galleon. That would give the ‘club’ a crazy, erratic feel, Pansy claimed, when the lights refracted on every piece to create a kaleidoscope effect.

A throat was cleared, which Draco brought back to the present issue. Pansy was glaring at him, practically burning holes into him. He saw her draw in a breath, and he waited to see what she shall do.

“Dray,” the woman drawled, sickly sweet, and instantly Draco knew he was in deep trouble, “Please get out of bed for me.”

A Slytherin acting sweet and innocent was never to be trusted. They were almost always up to no good. It was better just do as they ask because they would turn nasty when disobeyed. That was why Draco pushed the covers back and got out of the comfy heaven of his king-size bed. I stood up and stretched, feeling the snug cotton of his boxer briefs shift the movement.

“Come stand in front of me Dray.”

Draco slunk forward on his long legs to stand before her. Instantly, he was immobilized, and Pansy’s face stretched into an evil smirk.

“Thank you, Drakie. Now I can get you ready for your big, amazing party!” She ended this speech with malicious laughter.

This was his punishment for ignoring the planning of her wonderful party for him. Pansy was going to dress him. Great. Draco was sure he would end up looking like a man-whore.

“Let’s make you irresistible, shall we?”

Four hours later Draco was deemed ready for the party. Alright, so maybe he did not look like a man-whore; he looked like a slut. He had on black leather pants so tight they appear to be painted on and so low that his hip bones jut out above them. As if that was no bad enough, they [laced up the entire side](https://d3qcduphvv2yxi.cloudfront.net/assets/2297540/lightbox/AD%20-%20Leather%20Pants%20frings%20unisex.jpg?1286559906), meaning there was a two inch strip of exposed skin on the outside of each leg. The ‘pants’ were then tucked into dragon-hide boots, the only normal thing of the whole outfit. The shirt was a [shrunken black vest](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=12344678). It barely covered anything. It stopped above Draco belly button, exposing a pale blond happy trail and a [dragon belly button piercing](https://cdn-img-3.wanelo.com/p/747/846/f85/0893ebc6adfc0bc108dfd20/x354-q80.jpg). The straps narrowed to those of a tank top, exposing his two tattoos.

What a shocker. The respectable Lord Malfoy had tattoos, as in more than one. The first was a not well thought out. That one resided on Draco’s left forearm. It was a snake slithering out of the mouth of a skull. It was an identifier for a cult. He would willingly admit that he had been a part of an elitist group. The motto was ‘Pureblood is the only blood’. Draco only lasted two months before he was kicked out by the leader, Theo Nott, because he was not devoted enough to the cause. Draco had never really wanted to be a member, so it was fine when he got the booted. However, the tattoo could not be removed, so he was stuck with the reminder of his stupidity and gullibility. The other tattoo was on his right shoulder. It was another snake, but this one wrapped around his upper bicep, ending with its fangs spread at the base of his neck. Draco loved this one because it reminded him of the dangers of life. Life was fragile and could be taken in seconds. This snake was jet black with vivid green eyes.

Draco’s eyes were rimmed in black liner. His one victory over Pansy was that he was not wearing another other makeup: no eyeshadow, lipstick, blush, or any form of glitter. He drew the line there. His hair was down, flowing down to his shoulder blades. It was tussled every which way, which felt very unnatural to Draco. He never wore it down; his hair was either in a braid or bun at the back of his neck. The finishing touches to his ensemble were his Malfoy crest ring, his [emerald ring](http://www.bikerringshop.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/P1100088_cz_green_2.jpg), and a [pentagram necklace](https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5446164/il_fullxfull.337001573.jpg) hanging to his sternum.

Most definitely a slut.

“Now, I have to go let in the guests.” Pansy then gave Draco a knowing smirk. “Do not think you can change clothes the minute I am gone; I put a charm on them that prevents you from removing them yourself.”

Draco gave her a death glare. That underhanded move was very Slytherin. He unfortunately had to give her that and grudgingly admitted that he approved of its Slytherin qualities.

“The mood needs to be set before you make your grand entrance, so wait an hour before coming down. Come to the north door, which will open to the backstage area. I will be there to meet you, and will announce you to all the lovely men on the dance floor. Maybe you could find Mr. Right out on the dance floor.” She gave Draco a cheeky wink and exits the bedroom.

He did not want to find Mr. Right there. This party was basically full of miserable men, desperate for a lay and willing to go anywhere to get it. Pansy did not know that he saw her pass out invitations to all men at three different gay Wizarding clubs; he had followed her. He was hurt that she thinks he would fall for someone here. He wanted to fall in love naturally, not through a set-up. He was not even sure he even wanted to even fall in love, actually.

Draco was wary of love. All it did was hurt, leaving large, gaping holes in his heart. He loved his brother in all but blood, and he never really got over the pain of losing him. He loved his father, and the man’s death haunted him even if his spirit does not. He had felt like he was slowly and steadily falling for Lucas, but the man had been violently ripped from him before he could know for sure.

Lucas, oh, his beautiful Lucas. He worked as Draco’s beast tamer for a little over a year. Luca was the antithesis of him; where Draco was light, Luca was dark. The man’s ebony skin was flawless and a striking contrast to Draco’s pale ivory. Luca had started two years ago. Draco thought the man was beautiful, though not really his type. He was broad, muscular, and well-toned. Draco covertly watched him for six months; his every move oozed strength and power. Draco remembered when Lucas first showed interest in him …

_I sit at the table on the patio in the center of the southern garden. I am having tea with Lucas as he gives me his weekly report on the creatures. He tells me of a confrontation between a griffin and a nesting hippogriff, his face jumping through expressions to go with the story. My mind is definitely in the gutter because I am trying to guess if he would be this expressive during sex. His presence practically oozes power; power is very attractive to me._

_Needless to say, I am not really listening to Lucas’ words. When he pauses in speech to lift his tea, I try to appear as though I was. That attempt flies out the metaphorical window when Lucas starts to sip his tea. Sip does not describe the obscene action that he does. He hollows his cheeks and sucks the whole cup down in one go. I am mesmerized; I cannot tear my eyes away for the man across from me._

_“So,” he says as he smirks at me, “if you are done undressing me with your eyes, would you care to come to my cabin to undress me for real?” …_

What followed was a whirlwind of a relationship. It had started as purely physical, resulting in many escapades of aggressive sex. About three months in, they both realized they wanted something more. Thus, they began to actually date. It was an amazing four months. Draco started to feel like he could spend the rest of his live with the other man. But, as his previous luck with love would show, it was not meant to be. He remembered clearly the day it all ended. …

_“Where is he?” I say to the empty air under our tree. It is one of the few trees on the rolling fields, near the edge close to the manor. It is also the location of our very first date: a sweet picnic consisting of lazing in the afternoon sun, watching the butterflies flutter by._

_We meet here for most of our dates, like today. We planned to go horseback riding across the fields. The horses are saddled and ready. I am just waiting for Lucas, like I have been for the last two hours._

_I finally give up after three hours. I assume there must have been an emergency with some creature or other that he had to deal with. But he could have at least sent a patronus; it would have been the polite thing to do._

_So I return the horses to the barn. After they are taken care of, I head to Lucas’ cottage. If he is there, then he can explain himself. If he is not, then I will wait and then he can explain._

_As I walk through the forest on the path to his cabin, I smell something rank. It smells foul, metallic, and earthy. It triggers a memory: my father’s death. I realize I smell clotting blood mixed in with the decomposing leaves and earth of the forest floor. I run, following the smell. I reach a clearing along the path, and my heart breaks._

_Scattered around the clearing is what I can only assume is Lucas. He has been ripped apart, completely gutted. Blood drenched everything: the ground, the bushes, some roses. It seems he had a bouquet of white roses with him when some creature attacked him. He was coming to me when he was killed. …_

That was the image that still sticks the most in Draco’s mind. The roses had an abhorrent beauty to them. The dark red of the blood stood out so piercingly against the perfect white of the petals. The roses had made the whole scene surreal. They had been everywhere; some had still been whole while others had been reduced to just petals, fluttering occasionally in the wind. Everything covered in blood.

On that day, the garden no longer contained white roses. On that day, Draco bewitched the white rose bushes to bloom black flowers. On that day, Draco decided to shield his heart from love because love hurt too much.

He surfaced from his musing, realizing he had been lost in memories for a great deal of time. A quick _Tempus_ charm revealed that it was time for him to head down to Pansy’s torture, masquerading as a party. Draco did not want to go because the men he had loved and lost were not there.

**Author's Note:**

> This is on my fanfiction.net account, but it is very old. I started writing it my first semester of college. I stopped writing because school started to attack me. Now that I've graduated, I have time again. However, I do not like what I wrote (and realized how horrid it was) and have decided to rewrite it. So, here it is. Enjoy!


End file.
